


Pray For The Wicked

by Jackfrostbitten



Series: Dance 'Till You're Dead [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, BAMF BadBoyHalo, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Characters inspired by __secret_kitty__ on TikTok!, Childhood Trauma, Death of a Bachelor and I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Dream George and Sapnap are just fucking panicking like dafuq is going on, Euphoria, Gen, GoodBoyHalo!, Hallucinations, He has his knives, He's coming for your children :))), How Do I Tag, Hypnotism, Magic, Major Character Injury, Manipulation, Memory Alteration, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Murder Scarf :DD, Niki and Fundy vibe in Niki's bakery, Not Beta Read, Panic Attacks, Paranoia, Religious Conflict, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Religious Innuendo, Schlatt is tired, Skeppy is just like "WHY ARE ALL OF MY FRIENDS GOING FUCKING NUTS???, Songfic, The songs for this one arrrrrre, Tranquilizers, Twisted!BadBoyHalo, Witchcraft, auditory hallucinations, by panic at the disco, haha wolbur scoot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27259720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackfrostbitten/pseuds/Jackfrostbitten
Summary: "Well, in fact,Well, I'll look at it this way,I mean, technically, our marriage is saved,Well, this calls for a toast,So pour the champagne."=================Bad--after suffering three days of terrible nightmares thanks to Nightmare, the parasitic monster version of Dream--is tired. Sounds and voices of people he cannot see bombard him any waking moment, paranoia grips him like a steel trap, and sleep is no longer something he's considering. That was, until, a dark priest in an evoker cloak with a voice of honey came.Now he'd finally be saved from his sins.
Series: Dance 'Till You're Dead [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983170
Comments: 46
Kudos: 135





	1. Poise and Rationality

**Author's Note:**

> See the end for notes!

So ah, guess who is going to put the mini-Toob work off until later because yay homework and inspiration fairy and depression wooo

I’m sorry for putting that one on hold, so to make up for it, here is Chapter 1!

* * *

**_₮ł₥Ɇ ₮Ø ₲Ɇ₮ Ʉ₱, ₳₦₲ɆⱠ.~_ **

BadBoyHalo awoke with a start, immediately turning his attention to his hands. He sighed with relief upon seeing that they were healed without a sparkling diamond wound on them or an iron blade lodged in them. Bad rubbed his head where a headache was already starting to form close to his temples. 

Drowsiness fogged his mind, making his eyelids feel heavy and his body weary with sleep. Bad wasn’t going to sleep anymore. Sleeping meant nightmares.

Bad carefully got out of the little white bed, taking a quick look around the room to ensure the thieves hadn’t followed him--

Bad rubbed his temples with annoyance, the thieves weren’t  _ real _ .

**_†hê¥'ll ¢ðmê †hrðµgh †hê wïñÐðw._ **

Bad darted over to make sure that the window was locked properly, and that no one was trying to spy on him or follow him through it. Just in case.

“Morning, Bad,” came the playful quipping tone of Sapnap, “Whatcha doing?”

Bad plastered a smile onto his face, hoping that Sap wouldn’t see through it, “It was cold, so I wondered if the window was open,” he lied.

**_Såþñåþ kñðw§ ¥ðµ'rê l¥ïñg._ **

**_Ðï§†rå¢† hïm!_ **

“Anyways, how is Dream doing?” Bad asked, genuine worry seeping into his tone.

Bad relaxed his shoulders that he didn’t realize were tensed in the first place as Sapnap explained the situation and then began to ramble off about being assaulted by him and George about whether or not the visual novel or anime of some sort of killing game was better.

**_S_ _m_ ** **_ïlê åñÐ ñðÐ._ **

**_Ððñ'† lê† hïm §êê †hrðµgh._ **

Bad chuckled at Sapnap’s jokes while he fidgeted with one of his throwing knives. Paranoia grew in his chest like a weed as the loud, smooth voice in his head made concerning comments and observations about the raven-haired man.

**_Hê lððk§ ñêrvðµ§, ¥ðµ §hðµlÐ ¢ðm£ðr† hïm._ **

**_ßµ† må¥ßê †hå† wðµlÐ måkê hïm mðrê ñêrvðµ§._ **

**_Ðð ñð†hïñg!_ **

**_Ðð §ðmê†hïñg!_ **

Bad snickered at one of Sapnap’s comments before beginning to usher the younger man out of his room stating that a growing boy needed food--a comment which earned Bad a noogie and him being flipped the bird.

The shadowy man closed the door behind his friend, sliding along the frame with his back pressed to the door until he was sitting with his knees to his chest on the plush carpet.

**_...M¥ gðÐ †hå† wå§ åw£µl._ **

“Shut up,” Bad mumbled with a yawn. He was tired, and a nap sounded nice right now--

The voices of the thieves filled his ears in a cacophony of yelling and screaming and begging for their lives around Bad who clapped his hands to his ears with a yelp of surprise.

That did nothing, however, as the voices only grew louder and more desperate with each second.

Bad was so,  _ so tired _ .

* * *

The Dream SMP quickly returned to normal after the fight with Nightmare.

Wilbur continued with his villain arc in the L’Manburg war with Technoblade and Dream by his side while Tommy and Tubbo held onto each other like a lifeline. Quackity helped POGtopia and had even become less of an asshole to Niki--though neither said anything about the war or the acting when Quackity found the blonde-haired woman curled up in the corner of her bakery, crying softly, and Quackity comforted her until the sky turned brazen orange with the setting sun. George and Sapnap kept lighting shit on fire, including the L’Manburg flag six times. In a row. Jschlatt had gone back to his villainous, apathetic persona, though he still winked at Dream and Wilbur from their perches on the nearby buildings whenever he would deliver a speech.

Skeppy had given Bad a hug so tight it nearly crushed Bad’s ribcage, apologizing profusely about not taking Bad’s place when Nightmare poisoned Bad. The older man had said that there was nothing to apologize for and even took out the diamond golem for lunch at Niki’s bakery.

Everything was back to normal.

So why wasn’t Bad back to normal?

* * *

Bad hadn’t slept for a week, and the hallucinations were already getting worse. He had terrible headaches that would come on whenever he decided to move, he could hardly walk straight let alone without bumping into something, and he repeatedly confused people’s names and faces. He even once called Sapnap, Philza, somehow.

Bad sat in a cozy recliner in the public library--Schlatt had built it after the Nightmare incident to provide easier access to important books that wouldn’t involve him being drugged--fidgeting and grinding his teeth as he listened to George and Sapnap argue about the Minecraft Championships.

_ “We had it in the bag, Samsung Refrigerator, so shut the fuck up about--” _

_ “In the bag? You lost by, like, twenty points!” _ __

_ “By,  _ two,  _ thank you very much, and you lost by way more than us.” _

_ “We lost by six motherfucker--” _

**_†hê¥'rê lðµÐ._ **

**_†hê¥'rê åñgr¥._ **

**_Shµ† †hêm µþ._ **

“SHUSH YOU MUFFINHEADS!” Bad yelled, closing the copy of  _ Treasure Planet  _ he had been trying to read for the past hour and a half. Bad turned to the couch, though his annoyed scowl morphed into a confused expression as George looked up at him with the expression of “what the fuck just happened?”.

“...You alright, Bad? It’s just me,” George spoke slowly, like he was talking to a little kid or an injured animal.

“Where’s Sapnap? I heard you two arguing?” Bad asked, thoroughly perplexed.

“It's just been me for the past couple hours editing the manhunt,” George pushed his clout glasses up onto the top of his head, revealing the worried chocolate brown eyes behind them, “Sapnap’s been working with Niki at the bakery for the past couple hours, too. He was never here.”

“Oh,” Bad popped the ‘o’, before plastering on a cheery smile, “I’m fine, I’m just a little tired, ‘s all.”

“When was the last time you slept?” George asked, setting his laptop to the side as he peered at Bad.

Bad rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly without responding.

“Well, I think Skeppy actually needed help with, uh, something, so I’m just going to--” Bad gestured towards the doors of the library, turning on his heel and walking as briskly as he could without running down the hall and out into the fresh L’Manburgian air.

_ Dammit. _

* * *

Bad fiddled with his bandana as Skeppy came into view. He was standing with Tubbo, animatedly discussing something involving setting cats on fire, child labour, and Tommy’s cooking?

Skeppy grinned, waving to Bad as the older man came into view.

“Hi, Bad, I was just talking with Tubbo about--” Skeppy paused for a moment, “--taxes. Yup, taxes.”

A snicker escaped Bad’s lips as he tiredly dragged his friend with him behind a nearby building.

“Woah, ‘kay, what’s going on?” Skeppy asked, worry creeping into his tone.

**_¥ÖÚ ÇÄñ'† †ÈLL HÌM._ **

**_ÐÖñ'† †ÈLL HÌM._ **

**_£LÌGH†, £ÌGH†, £RÈÈZÈ._ **

“I don’t--” Bad winced and clutched his head as a torrent of noises and voices, and  _ sound  _ erupted in his mind. He fell to his knees as the voices cried out in a million different languages, in a million different tones, in a million different ways all at once. It was as though hot knitting needles had just been jammed through his ears and into his brain.

“...Bad?! Bad!” Came the muffled voice of Skeppy from somewhere distant.

**_ñÖ† §KÈþþ¥._ **

**_WÄñ†§ †Ö HÚR† ¥ÖÚ._ **

Bad’s heart pounded in his chest. This Skeppy lookalike was going to kill him. Hurt him again. Just like the  _ thieves _ \--

Bad drew his netherite sword which he had gotten Techno to shorten slightly into a bit more of a long, shimmering black dagger. He swept Not-Skeppy’s feet out from underneath him with a short rotating kick. Skeppy fell to the ground in a heap, and Bad pointed his sword directly at his friend’s heart.

Bad’s milky white eyes had turned faintly crimson as blood dripped out of his ears and he panted heavily. Even though his skin was literally made of fluffy shadow, Skeppy could see the deep bags of countless restless nights and three long days of nothing but nightmares underneath his friend’s eyes.

Bad swung.


	2. Pacing the Pews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad snaps on Skeppy, nearly killing them both a couple of times before Skeppy calls in reinforcements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

Skeppy rolled away from the strike as the blade glanced off of his diamond forearm. The mocha-haired man carefully jumped away with a yelp when Bad swung again, nearly hitting himself in the face with the blade in the process.

**_Qµï¢kl¥!_ **

Bad leaned on the brick wall, exhaustion making every tiny movement a chore as he swung again at his curly-haired friend.

“Stay  _ AWAY! _ ” Bad shouted, breathing heavily as Skeppy darted out of the way. Bad stumbled forward and Skeppy caught the older man by the hood of his jacket, carefully pulling him up and into his arms. Skeppy yanked the dagger-sword out of Bad’s grip and threw it across the alleyway.

“Bad, it’s just me, it’s just me, you’re okay,” The diamond golem soothed, running a shimmering clawed hand through Bad’s poofy shadow locks. Bad growled and attempted to pull out of Skeppy’s embrace to no avail.

“No you’re not, you’re ‘ust a vision,” He slurred. 

He was  _ so tired. _

Skeppy grinned at him, “You and I played Phasmophobia with Ant and Velvet last night and one of the ghosts scared me really bad so I held onto you the entire time while you laughed at me. Could a vision know that?”

_ He made a good point. _

**_Hê hêårÐ £rðm Äñ† †hï§ mðrñïñg._ **

**_Hê'§ ñð† rêål._ **

“‘Y heard it from Ant this morning,” Bad pulled away and Skeppy loosened his grip to let him, “You’re not real.”

Bad shook his head, trying to shake the voices that repeated his words back to him.

_ You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real. You’renotrealyou’renotreal-- _

Skeppy moved forward, pulling Bad into a tight embrace. Warmth filled Bad’s heart as the man’s cool diamond skin pressed up against his jacket. Bad returned the gesture without thinking, the voices in his head calming down to a low whisper like a thunderous rain storm morphing into a light drizzle.

**_𝔾𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕤𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕒 𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕡𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕪 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕤𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕠._ **

Bad abruptly turned around, “Who’s there?” he called into the dark alleyway.

**_₦Ø₮ ⱧɆⱤɆ ₳₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₥Ø₥Ɇ₦₮.~_ **

“Bad?”

“What do you mean, you’re not here?!” Bad demanded, taking one of his throwing knives out of his pocket.

**_𝕊𝕙𝕙, 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕜𝕖𝕡𝕡𝕪, 𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝._ **

Bad turned to his friend who wore a concerned gaze and was muttering something under his breath.

_ The comms. _

“No-Skeppy,” Bad grabbed the diamond golem’s arms, panic seeping into his voice as he willed it not to crack  _ dontletthemknowdontletthemknow-- _ ”Nonono, don’t tell them,  _ please.” _

“Bad, you have to tell me what’s going on,” Skeppy peered at Bad with worried-- _ scared _ \--hazel eyes.

“I can’t--” Bad yelped, clapping his hands over his ears as another wave of voices crashed like claps of thunder in his brain.

Skeppy held onto him, pressing the shadowy man to his chest, “You’re alright Bad, just breathe.”

Bad heard footsteps behind him and caught a glimpse of a charcoal suit with a stark red tie and a lime green hoodie. Bad turned to his diamond friend with hurt in his eyes.

**_𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕨𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥. 𝔾𝕠 𝕢𝕦𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕪._ **

Bad turned on his heel and ran into the dark foliage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good be like "yeah you're in a bit of a pickle so I'll help ya out for right now"  
> He has seventeen different chaotic powered-up children to watch, cut him some slack  
> Anyways, thank you all for the comments <3  
> Enjoy from your Friendly Frosty! <3


	3. AN: haha mooooosic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mooooooosic I have playlist enjoy

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/76XbWgfCljirhMGp8EPKnv

Playlist #2 for our lovely friend GoodBoyHalo >:)

Enjoy from your Friendly Frosty


	4. Lifetime of Laughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Run away until they cannot find you. Hide in place you cannot be seen. He stalks the pews with bread in his hands, voice laced with deadly disease.
> 
> Good meets Bad, offering relief from the constant pain Bad had been feeling ever since Nightmare got him. Who was he to say no?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

BadBoyHalo ran through the forest, the thick vines of the trees scraping his skin where he passed them by.

_ I can’t be caught, I can’t be caught, I can’t be caught-- _

He hadn’t dared to look behind him, though he knew that Skeppy had chased him for at least the first couple minutes due to the pleading shouts that begged the older man to come back. He had disconnected the team comms from himself, though messages still streamed in.

_ Dream whispers to you: Bad are you okay?? _

_ Jschlatt whispers to you: Bad, I need you to come back to Manburg right now. _

_ Tubbo_ whispers to you: please stop running _

_ Skeppy whispers to you: please come back _

Bad’s heart cracked a little as he saw the final message from Skeppy, though he kept running until he no longer heard shouts or footsteps. He was standing in a tiny clearing in the forest surrounded by birds and vines and lush grass. The shadowy man winced as a particularly high pitched voice began screaming at him to save him from drowning.

_ His brother _ .

Bad shook his head as tears stung his eyes and a sob escaped his lips.

**_₱ØØⱤ Ⱡł₮₮ⱠɆ ₳₦₲ɆⱠ, ⱧɆ ⱠØ₴₮ Ⱨł₴ ₩ł₦₲₴, ₴₮₳₦Đł₦₲, ₴₮₳₦Đł₦₲ ł₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₥Ɇ₳ĐØ₩₴,~_ ** the smooth, honeyed voice sang from somewhere behind him. It was his brother’s lullaby.

A figure appeared from the trees in a writhing mass of smoke that formed itself into a man who looked exactly like Bad except he was wearing a crimson and black evoker’s cloak with a woolen priest’s scarf and bright, blood-red eyes.

“ _ There where the daemons shout and sing, how he lost them, nobody knows,”  _ the man finished with a foxish grin.

“Are you another vision?” Bad asked, drawing one of his throwing knives and pointing it at the man.

“From a technical standpoint, yes, I suppose I am,” the dark priest looked down at himself, swishing his cloak back and forth, “You’re the only one who can see me like this, I have your memories and knowledge, I’m incorporeal--well, no, a vision is just a hallucination so it probably wouldn't be an exact copy,” the man pondered aloud, “I  _ also  _ feed off of your and other’s emotions, so  _ parasite  _ would probably be a better word.”

“You’re like Nightmare,” Bad stated with a growl.

“I’m the same thing that he is, yes. He also happens to be a good friend and my sad piece of soggy cardboard of a brother,” the figure snickered, “Can’t say I agree with killing everyone, though.”

“Nightmare’s your brother?” Bad questioned, lowering his throwing knife.

The person nodded, pulling something out from underneath his cloak.

_ Nightmare’s mask. _

“You put him through hell, which he was  _ most certainly  _ not happy about,” he placed the mask in Bad’s hands, “He wants to come back and give you all a run for your money.”

The man grinned slyly, “Though I’m afraid that it’s my turn and I’d honestly prefer not to have more bodies in my basement.”

“Bodies?” Bad asked with a confused furrow in his brow.

“Bodies, traffic cones, antique books, political signs, flags of various countries,” the man counted each on his hand, “I just steal shit. It’s kind of my thing, at this point.”

“Language,” Bad chastised with a yawn.

“My apologies. I do give some of it back, if that sentiment makes you feel better,” the man tried with a shrug.

“Why are you here, then? What do you want from me?” Bad growled.

The darkly cloaked man gave him a mischievous grin, extending a hand, “Dance with me. Get it? Like ‘walk with me’ but classier?” The man chuckled, “I need to stop hanging out with Sunday, his phrases are leaking into mine own.”

Bad carefully took the stranger’s hand, who drew him into a light waltz, spinning deftly around the clearing.

“I’m here because Nightmare transferred his strength that he received from the chaos and emotion he wrangled from you all into me when he saw he was defeated,” the odd man spun Bad around, “I am specifically tied to you because of reasons that even I don’t know, and thus is why I’m essentially a twisted copy of yourself.”

“Twisted….how?” Bad asked slowly as the figure spun him around again.

“That is an excellent question that I honestly don’t know how to answer,” the man grinned, a smooth almost magical feel to his tone, and Bad felt an urge to drop the question.

“I am  _ also  _ here because firstly, I need a host that I can use the body of, and secondly,” the stranger’s voice dropped back into that smooth tone, “Schlatt’s a smart man with the powers of a deity thanks to operator permissions. I am more than a little worried, if not for myself then for you all, what he might do with them.”

The stranger’s argument made perfect sense to Bad somehow, though his brain felt like it was stuffed with cotton and some of the voices still lingered to scream at him.

“It  _ is _ kinda scary…” Bad trailed off, a foggy heaviness filling his mind as the manś works became the only thing he heard.

“Exactly! And, my friend, I know about the voices,” Bad tensed up as the stranger spun him around, holding his counterpart to his chest. The stranger leaned his head on the shadowy man’s shoulder, whispering in his ear, “Words can hurt, even if they don’t intend to. I’m not affected by their words and voices and screaming like you are because I’ve heard it all before.”

The stranger hummed in his ear, a sweet, soft lullaby. “I can take all that pain away. Say the word, and I’m here to stay.~”

The voices still screamed in his ear for help. They were hurting and Bad didn’t know why. They hurt when they were there. Why should Bad have to listen to them?

The stranger’s lullaby filled his ears, making his eyes heavy and his body feel warm, like someone had draped a blanket over his shoulders. He couldn’t come up with a reason to say no.

“Take it.”

GoodBoyHalo grinned, his scarf wrapping itself around his counterpart’s neck until he let out a strangled cry and fell to his knees. Good melted into shadow as the scarf loosened, hanging limply around the shadowy man’s neck. A pinkish imprint had been left behind as little rivulets of blood began to drip from the wound.

Bad let out a choked laugh, looking at his hands. The pain was gone. The voices were gone. Worry no longer twisted through him like a snake threatening to swallow him whole. Even his back, which he had injured when he tried to swim with his brother, that would constantly ache no longer felt like anything at all.

Bad laughed again as he found that the word ‘brother’ no longer had any pain or bitter memories attached to it. He sprung up with a little skip and hop, scrambling through the dark foliage. Bad had wanted to try Hbomb’s slime block tower puzzle for a while, though he was always too nervous to do so. That nervousness was gone, replaced by a pleasant buzz that filled his body and mind.

**_...𝔸𝕙. 𝕎𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕡𝕤._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya better watch out, ya better watch out, YA BETTER WATCH OUT--  
> Yeah so I wasn't kidding when I replied to a comment saying "You might want to cover your ears when you're around Good" because this fucker will absolutely be a fucking nightmare to exist with  
> Also Good now also incidentally made Bad not fear fucking death so welp, time to go get dying!  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty!~


	5. Put My Heart On My Chest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Still  
> Some days  
> I seem to find myself in a  
> peculiar situation  
> Where I cannot sleep  
> For fear of nightmares  
> And where I cannot  
> Leave my bed  
> For fear of living them." --M.D.
> 
> Skeppy is worried. Dream is worried. Jschlatt is worried. Tubbo is worried. Bad is sleep drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

“ _ I’ll make a cuppa coffee for your heeead,~”  _ Bad sang quietly, hopping over a fallen log.

“ _ Getcha up and going out of beed _ \--how does the next bit go again?” He questioned aloud with a giggle, “Do-do-do-doo--” Bad was cut off when a familiar figure jumped out from the trees with his diamond sword drawn.

Bad gasped, running up to Skeppy to wrap him in a hug that lifted the diamond golem off of the ground, “ _ JESUS _ \--Bad put me down, put me down--” Bad dropped Skeppy before lightly smacking him over the head with a playful scowl.

“Language, ‘ya muffinhead!” He slurred with a giggle, “Hiiiiiii, Skeppy.”

The mocha-haired man just stared at the elder with the look of someone who just watched a seagull steal an entire can of sunscreen before eating it whole and running off.

“ _Bad?_ _Are you okay?_ ” He asked slowly.

Bad snorted, tripping over his feet and falling forward when Skeppy reached out to grab him. Holding the shadowy man upright, Bad touched the end of Skeppy’s nose with a quiet, “Boop!”

Three more familiar faces emerged from the foliage with a fourth trailing behind them. Dream in a thick pale green hoodie with his signature smile on the front came skidding through dirt with a curious Patches on his shoulders. Jschlatt was close by, hopping along on furry goat legs which quickly shifted to become the businessman’s regular human ones. Technoblade on horseback raced through the trees, and the pink-haired hybrid abruptly jumped off of the spotted horse to land gracefully at Dream’s feet. Tubbo was the last one to enter the clearing, panting heavily in his forest green button-up with a bee trailing on a lead like a striped balloon behind him.

Bad gave them a tall, floppy wave, “Hiiii guys! Whatcha doing here?”

Technoblade turned on his heel, “Can’t save him, sorry guys.”

Dream pulled the older man by his cape back into the clearing before pulling up his mask to stare at Bad, who stared right back with a little wave.

“We doin’ staring contest now?” He giggled, trotting over to stand in front of the masked man, “I betcha I’ll win.”

“Bad, when was the last time you actually slept?” The emerald-eyed man asked, concerned painted on his face.

“Uhh, hmm,” Bad thought for a moment before holding up his index finger, “Sunday.”

Schlatt shared a look with the other four, “Today’s Saturday.”

“You haven’t slept for a  _ week?! _ ” Skeppy exclaimed, grabbing the shadowy man by his shoulders.

Bad scowled, “Don’ want nightmares. ‘Sides, I slept in the forest thingy--the tree by the side of the road.”

“Except you didn’t bring a bedroll with ‘ya, and you sound like you’re drunk,” Techno raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s to say ‘m not...drunk,” Bad stumbled on his words before stumbling on his feet and collapsing right into Dream’s waiting arms, who held his friend up.

“Nightmares?” Dream questioned.

“Yeah with the thieves and monsters ‘n stuff,” Bad shook his head in distaste, “scary ‘lil muffins.”

“Bad, why didn’t you tell us?” Skeppy asked, looking a bit hurt.

The shadowy man giggled, wrapping his friend in a soft hug, “Didn’ want ‘ya to worry ‘bout me.”

Schlatt sighed softly and scratched his friend’s head which earned him an odd chirruping noise, “There’s not much we can do about it now, though we’re taking you back to Manburg where you are going to  _ sleep  _ for the rest of the day.”

Bad stepped away from Skeppy with a confused scowl, “Why?”

“Because you’re--just,” the diamond golem gestured vaguely to Bad, who sneezed politely, “You’ve been hearing things for the past week, you keep confusing people, you have these really bad headaches-- _ hell _ you haven't eaten anything since you woke up!

“Not that bad, though,” Bad yawned, “‘m not gonna sleep.”

“Oh yes the fuck you are,” Skeppy growled, picking his friend up bridal style into his arms. Bad weakly squirmed out of the diamond golem’s grip, carefully pulling a throwing knife into his hand. The priest’s scarf around his neck unwound itself and began to float in the air around the shadowy man, the ends lengthening into sharp claws made of foggy shadow.

Bad smiled at his friends, “I love ‘ya.”

And the clearing became a warzone.

The scarf immediately went after Skeppy, wrapping the diamond golem up before picking him up and throwing him across the clearing where he collided with a tree. Bad threw a throwing knife into Dream’s hood, pinning him against a nearby oak tree. Techno grabbed the scarf, wrapping it around his gloved hand before yanking it forward, bringing Bad along with it. 

The scarf dug its claws into the hybrid’s arm, making the older man hiss in pain and yank his mangled arm out of its grip where it fell limply at his side. Bad leapt at Dream, the scarf trailing with him, who carefully moved out of the way, ripping his hood in the process. Patches leapt onto one of the lower tree branches, watching the exchange with slitted eyes.

Bad threw another knife at Dream, this one grazing the masked man’s neck. Dream clapped a hand to the bleeding wound as Techno appeared to trip Bad, making the shadowy man fall in a heap on the ground. The scarf balled itself up and punched the piglin hybrid square in the chest, sending the skidding across the clearing. Blood dripped out of the hybrid’s mouth.

Jschlatt pulled the scarf off of Bad’s neck, tossing it aside where the claws abruptly vanished and the scarf reverted back to its original form. Bad growled, trying to throw a knife at the older man who teleported away to stand by Techno, who was clutching his stomach and breathing heavily. Skeppy ran up to stand by them both as Schlatt summoned a healing potion which he offered to Techno, who gratefully took it, downing it in one gulp.

Bad stood, wobbly on his feet with a deep, animalistic growl on his face, “Leave me  _ alone _ !” He barked, pulling out another knife which gleamed deep violet and blue with an enchantment that wreathed the small blade in pale red fire.  _ Fire aspect _ .

“Phil, now!” Schlatt shouted.

Something sharp pierced Bad’s neck, who stumbled from the shock. Bad felt around and found that something small and fuzzy was stuck in the fluffy shadow just below his jaw.

_ A tranquilizer dart. _

Bad dropped his knife, falling to his knees and clutching his neck as his vision began to grow spotty and dark. A glimmering blue form rushed over to him, carefully picking him up and propping his heavy head on his shoulder. Something wet and salty dripped onto Bad’s face that made him want to sneeze. He looked up a bit to find that Skeppy had glittering tears running down his cheeks.

Bad chuckled and carefully wiped the tears off of his friend’s face with his thumb before oblivion overtook him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY SPOOKY DAY EVERYONE!  
> I am excitement for the blue moon tonight, so you all may just get a special surprise in honour of the special day~  
> ALso guess who made a Dream cosplay for my Samhain costume?  
> :DDDDDD  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty! <3


	6. Criminal Tongues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then touches the prime cause of his fall, the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent;  
> who revolting from God, and drawing to his side many Legions of Angels,  
> was by the command of God driven out of Heaven with all his Crew into the great Deep."--Paradise Lost
> 
> GoodBoyHalo finally makes a true appearance once his host is knocked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

GoodBoyHalo was being carried. He knew that much. It was a bit... _ new _ to him. Good was usually the one carrying people after he knocked them out or if one of his lousy siblings got into a fight and hurt themselves. His eyes were closed and he couldn’t open them, not until the tranquilizer wore off.

“Shh, shh, he’s going to be alright, Skeppy,” a stern male voice soothed--Philza, Good recognized. 

_ Hmm. Bitch knocked my host out. I suppose I’ll have to thank him later. _

A soft sobbing from above him caught Good’s attention. His heart hurt a little. Crying reminded him far too much of home.

“Ph-phil, he’s so  _ light, _ ” Skeppy choked out, snuggling Good a little closer to his chest.

_ Alright, that’s enough crying before you throw me in a dizzy as well. _

Good hummed softly, just quiet enough that the others wouldn’t be able to hear him. Brahms lullaby, soft and sweet to bring the diamond golem a bit of peace. It seemed to work as the man’s sniffling became softer and his breathing calmed. With any luck, he’d be out by the time they got to...well, Good didn’t really know where they were going.

Someone rubbed Good’s head lightly, “I’m surprised he made it as long as he did,” Wilbur commented, worry tinging his tone pale blue.

_ I swear to the lord Jesus fucking Christ if you start crying I’m going to smite someone. _

“He can stay in POGtopia for right now, if that’s alright with you, Wilbur,” Tubbo tried, sounding like he was on the brink of tears.

_ A forest green aura? For a  _ child _? Ever peculiar--little angel has already fallen to the world. _

“Absolutely,” Wilbur replied quickly, and Good felt his host’s limp body be reluctantly passed to new arms.

Strong with calloused fingers wrapped in leather fingerless gloves. Chocolate brown...mayhaps with a hint of maroon and crimson. Odd aura, but not one unexpected from a man who’s been through wars--no matter if they were acting, he still  _ died  _ multiple times.

Wilbur gasped a little, Good’s guess was at how light his host’s body was, gently holding him against his body. He was warm, and Good had to admit that it was nice.

He heard Skeppy sniffling, Philza comforting him with quiet promises he couldn’t keep. None but Good knew if Bad was going to be alright, and that filled them with fear. Like a sinner bitterly wondering if they’d ever enter heaven.

“Jesus--this is all that stupid fucking parasite’s fault. I should never have made a deal with him,” came the hushed voice of Dream from behind Good and Wilbur.

“No, you shouldn’t have, but you didn’t know that at the time,” Jschlatt comforted. Bastard was still unreadable--colours of every hue and shade bouncing around in complete chaos, though it was now tinged with deep greying blues.

“Why do you all keep making deals with eldritch horrors? Is this something ‘ya do on a daily basis or?” Technoblade asked with playful annoyance. 

“Says the blood god who started a potato war with a squid.”

“He was number one and I couldn’t just let somebody beat me at farming potatoes--”

“IS  _ THAT  _ WHY YOU MISSED THE FUCKING FAMILY REUINION?” Tommy shouted alongside the crashing of multiple tree branches.

“TommyInnit, you’re going to wake fucking Jesus with the amount of racket you’re making,” Wilbur moved his hand and Good heard a light smacking noise and a yelp of surprise from Tommy.

Philza and Dream wheezed from behind Good while Jschlatt deadpanned, “God’s dead and I killed him and I’m sure as fuck coming for his son next.”

“Dre, I can’t fucking see over your fat head--” a new voice whined, GeorgeNotFound his host’s memories supplied.

“Ha, short.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU TALL-ASS PISSBABY.”

Good heard someone being tackled to the forest floor, which he quickly assumed was George and Dream. Someone else apparently joined the pile as he heard a new yelp from the ground.

“SAPNAP I swear to  _ GOD  _ if you set me on fire--”

“You can’t stop me Gogy--”

“I sure as fuck can, Sappitus Napptius--”

“OW! Sapnap that’s my leg!”

“I’m giving you some height, shut up.”

_ Dear god this was going to be a long walk. _

* * *

Wilbur finally laid Good’s sleeping--well, technically  _ Bad _ was the one sleeping--form down on the patchwork couch in one of POGtopia’s old stone rooms which had been renovated into sleeping quarters with lush vines and plants covering any available space. Good was barely able to open his eyes, and had to be careful not to move when the others carried him. 

Skeppy had complained to Schlatt and Wilbur until they agreed to let the diamond golem sleep with Good that night, who had cried himself to sleep the moment the others left the room. He whispered things in his sleeping friend’s ear that he wouldn’t have told anyone else. Things of the past and the future and the present. He apologized a lot. Good hummed his lullaby until the golem fell asleep.

Good carefully sat up, stretching his arms a bit before turning around to find Skeppy fast asleep behind him. The shadowy man wiped the dark tear tracks off of the golem’s face, pressing a light kiss to his forehead. Skeppy winced, shivering with sudden cold.

“I know, I know, it’s never pleasant, but it’s the least I can do after all of this,” Good sighed, grabbing a book and quill from a nearby table. 

He tore out a page, writing in neat, flowing script across it a poem. When he finished, he folded it into a tiny square and tucked it behind the diamond golem’s ear.

“God be with you, angel,” Good stood, a little wobbly on his feet.

He melted into shadow, reappearing across the room with his evoker cloak and precious priest’s scarf around his neck. Good had work to do, and he wasn’t going to waste any more time on pleasantries.

“Well then,” Good shook himself, petting his scarf--Gabriel--who perked up and rubbed itself against the shadowy man’s hand.

“Let’s get to work killing a god, shall we?”

* * *

Dream was placed in charge of watching Skeppy and Bad, and sat on a high stone ledge just above the room the two were sleeping in. He carefully sharpened his netherite blade while a soul lantern lit up the crevice with its bright blue flame.

The masked man jumped a bit when he heard the door below him carefully open, creaking softly. Bad emerged wearing that same scarf he had in the clearing, though he was also now wearing a velvet cloak with a tailcoat.

Dream peered off of the edge, watching as Bad crept out of POGtopia through the tunnels.

Well, it’d be irresponsible to not go with him.

* * *

**_And now, a Samhain Surprise!_ **

Toob was a persona. 

That’s all he was and all he ever would be.

He held a rifle in his hands. It was cold and weighty and covered with sticky blood that wasn’t his,

He crouched low to the ground so that his footsteps couldn’t be heard.

He tried to kill Big Law twice. Once when he disrespected Big Crime, the second when he said that he hoped Nightmare was dead. 

His pleading still rang in his ears.

Along with the gunshots.

But it wasn’t real, of course.

Toob was a persona.

But he was deadly. He was quiet. He was swift as the night.

And dear fucking god did he love bees.

* * *

**_˙noʎ ʍouʞ I ʇnᙠ ˙ǝɯ ʍouʞ ʇ,uop no⅄ ˙ollǝH_ **

**_You wonder what’s going to happen next._ **

**_˙ɹǝʍsuɐ uɐ noʎ ǝʌıɓ ʇouuɐɔ I_ **

**_But I can give you a clue._ **

**_˙spoɓ uı sǝʌǝılǝq poo⅁_ **

**_I am not one, but I am close._ **

**_˙sǝop puǝıɹɟ plo uɐ sɐ ɹǝǝʇǝddnd ʎɐld I_ **

**_I am the fifth._ **

**_.dpdvp p|iꞁ dɿwʞꞁꙅ ɿɿi ʜʏ pbpꞁɒ ǫʞʞb pꞁʜ vʏ pǫ dvʏꟻ_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who changed a character's motives midway through the fucking work? :DD  
> Annnnnnnnnyways, HAPPY SAMHAIN BECAUSE TODAY IS OCOTBER 31st for MEEEEEEEEEE AHdjsHsh  
> I got to scare tiny children with creepy makeup and my life feels fufilled  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and the surprise at the end  
> Props to anyone who can figure out what is happening in the last bit of the surprise ;)  
> Enjoy and a very spooky day from your Friendly Frosty! <3


	7. Cutting My Mind Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Drown me in drowsiness, take me away.  
> I sure as hell don't want to stay.  
> I'm tired of trying, and then being abandoned.  
> So drown me in drowsiness,  
> Take away my horizons."  
> \--JayceeJellies
> 
> Good uses his abilities to be a little bitch when Dream follows him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

Good was walking nonchalantly through the POGtopian tunnels. He wasn’t in an awfully large rush, and he doubted anyone was around to see him leave.

Even if they had, Good had his ways of dealing with nosy people.

“Mrow?”

“LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS FUCKING CHRIST--” Good jumped at the noise, pulling out on of his throwing knives and throwing it into the floor where a little cat with grey and brown patches was sitting.

The cat deftly jumped away from the blade, sitting in front of the shadowy man with a curious tilt of its head.

“Oh, dear  _ gods _ you scared me, Patches,” Good breathed, bending down to scratch the cat behind the ears.

She purred softly, leaning her head against the man’s hand. A smile crept across Good’s lips as Gabriel perked up a bit, moving carefully over to the cat. Good chuckled, sitting cross-legged on the cold stone, letting Gabriel snake along his arm to greet Patches. Patches sniffed at the scarf, sneezing a bit before bunting the end of it with her head. Gabriel, seeming pleased for a magic scarf, returned the gesture before doing a little barrel roll in the air.

Patches tilted her head curiously before rolling on the ground and then jumping to land on Good’s knee. Gabriel mimicked the movement, doing a second barrel roll before leaping in a little arc to pile itself like a snake on Good’s opposite knee. Patches trilled with delight, crouching and pouncing on Gabriel, tackling the woolen scarf to the ground and rolling around with him while Gabriel attempted to wrestle itself out of the cat’s grip.

Dream watched Bad’s murderous scarf thing and his cat jump and play with each other from a crevice in the tunnel wall with the expression of “oh my god this is so fucking adorable”. Taking out his phone, he recorded a little bit of the play fighting until Bad finally decided that it was time to go, his scarf rewinding itself around his neck and Patches climbing carefully onto the shadowy man’s shoulders.

What Good  _ didn’t _ see, however, was the little wink Patches gave to the masked man hiding in the wall.

* * *

Tubbo’s bunker was notoriously hard to find if you didn’t know where to look, especially considering POGtopia were the only ones privy as to where it was and Bad had  _ specifically _ sided with Jschlatt in the L’Manburg war.

Yeah, Good couldn’t find the fucking bunker.

He had searched the outskirts of L’Manburg for an hour--nearly getting caught by Ponk in the process--including the nearby forests. Good was sitting with his back to a willow tree in the swampy lands just west of L’Manburg. He was seriously questioning his life’s decisions to not just pull a Nightmare and murder the entirety of L’Manburg out of sheer spite. 

“Gabriel, do you think I could just make--just fire everywhere? Like Satan-style fucking set the earth on fire and escape to the fourth dimension,” Good was on the edge of having a mental breakdown and honestly just wanted to nap on a cliff.

Gabriel gave the shadowy man a consolation pat on the head while Patches shared a look of concern with the woolen scarf...or at least that’s what Good thought was happening, he was too busy regretting existing.

“Sunday thinks he can keep me here in this hellhole of a fucking SMP, but I’m about ready to summon fucking Beelzebub on his ass, seriously--” Good rubbed his eyes, “I’m so  _ goddamn _ tired of look for this  _ fucking  _ bunker to get a potion that I could probably brew myself.”

“A potion, eh?” A familiar voice asked from one of the trees.

“ _ Oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me _ ,” Good sighed, plastering on a faux smirk and carefully standing up.

_ Wait, where’s Patches? _

Dream hopped down from a nearby tree branch, grabbing Gabriel and throwing the woolen scarf across the forest floor all while pointing an enchanted crossbow at the shadowy man’s throat.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise,” Good grumbled.

“You’re not Bad, are you?” Dream growled with a grin.

Good tilted his head innocently, “What gave you that impression?”

“Get the fuck out of him.”

“Angel, you don’t know just how much I would  _ love  _ to get out of this place and go home, however I have a job that I need to do and I would prefer to get it done quickly,” Good inspected his nails, flicking a piece of dirt out from underneath them.

“You want Schlatt’s powers, right? That’s what Nightmare wanted, too,” Dream moved a little closer.

“No, actually,  _ I  _ don’t want anything to do with them, rather...an _ old friend _ of his wants them, I’m just here to do the dirty work because I made the mistake of playing poker against a god.”

Dream lowered his head in confusion, “Why wouldn’t you want that? Ultimate power seems like something you fuckers like.”

Good held up his hands, “I already have everything I want, and I don’t want to just outright  _ murder _ people like the rest of my siblings. I’ve buried enough corpses in my lifetime, and I honestly don’t want more.”

“...Why are you telling me this?”

Good laughed, an awful Disney villain-style cackle that reverberated through the trees, “Because,  _ Dream _ , I have  _ nothing  _ that I could use against you except your own exhaustion,” Good gave the masked man a sharp, bitter grin, “You haven’t slept the past couple days since you were so worried about Bad, blaming yourself for his condition.”

“Shut it,” Dream growled, aiming his crossbow at the shadowy man’s heart.

“Why? I may not care about your health much, but Bad certainly does,” Good’s voice turned honeyed and smooth, each word woven with magic.

“You forced Bad to sleep, but now that  _ you’re _ the one exhausted, it suddenly doesn’t apply?”

Dream yawned, his body slackening against his will, “I’m...just fine for right now, I’ll get some sleep when I get home.”

“Oh, angel,” Good grabbed the end of the crossbow, moving it so that the tip of the bolt charged in it was pressed against his throat, “we both know that’s a lie.”

“It’s none of your concern,” Dream seethed, his grip on the weapon loosening as his mind became foggy and heavy with drowsiness.

“It  _ becomes  _ my concern when you could very well die from it. Passing out in the middle of a swamp with no-one around for miles? That’s a bit dangerous if you ask me,” Good pressed, watching as his words took effect on the man, who began to sway a bit on his feet.

“‘M...okay. Leave me alone,” Dream slurred.

_ Why were his eyes so heavy? _

Good tutted the masked man with a sly grin, taking the crossbow easily out of his hand and dropping it into the mud.

“How can you say that when you look--oh how should I put this?” Good leaned in a little closer to the man.

“Asleep on your feet?”

Dream collapsed into Good’s waiting arms, who carefully lowered the sleeping man to the ground.

“I think it would be best for both of us to forget this ever happened,” Good grinned, watching the older man curl in on himself a bit.

Good gestured to Gabriel, who came flying across the clearing to wrap itself around the shadowy man’s neck before turning to Patches who sat on a nearby tree branch with her ears folded back and a growl on her face.

“The same goes to you, little spy,” Good spat, turning on his heel and heading towards the tall buildings of L’Manburg.

“I have a bunker to look for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHH HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOGY! <3 It's lovely to see that you made it through another year of life without perishing :DDD  
> Anyways I made this after I had a mental breakdown and I'm kinda dying a little bit but other than that I'm doing good :DDDDD  
> I hope you enjoy Good using his powers to be a bitch and Patches and Gabriel playing because my god are they adorable  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty! <3


	8. I Can't Help But Hear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you, are you  
> Coming to the tree  
> They strung up a man  
> They say who murdered three"  
> \--James Newton Howard  
> Dream wakes up in an unfamiliar place with no idea how he got there, Good finally finds what he was looking for, and the others finally figure out that their parasitic enemy is back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

Tubbo’s bunker was a large cobblestone room filled with branching tunnels and chest rooms and farms of every sort. It was quite a magnificent sight, imagining just how much time something of this scale would have taken. You could only enter it from a little puddle of water nearly completely unnoticeable in the dark, swampy lands. 

Good found it by accident, that is to say, he fell a very large hole where the puddle used to be.

With a string of curses, Good dusted off his cloak and checked Gabriel over to ensure that the woolen scarf was alright. Aside from a couple of ripped threads, the scarf was unharmed. A grin spread across Good’s lips as he glanced around, taking in the full majesty of the underground shelter.

Tubbo and Tommy, in their effort to sell drugs at ridiculous prices to Manburg citizens, had built a little potions room just to the side of a potato farm Technoblade had helped them build. An old wooden sign pointed Good in the direction of the room, though the shadowy man could hardly read the text engraved into the sign.

_ Dnug Aqeoom _

With a snort, Good realized that it was meant to say “Drug Room”. 

“Invisibility potions, Gabriel. Shimmery pale grey, liquidy, sticks to the sides of the bottle,” Good informed the scarf around his neck, who immediately lengthened itself with flickering shadow and got to work sifting through chests until it finally found three invisibility potions which it dropped down to Good from one of the top chests.

Two for drinking and one splash potion. It wasn’t as many as Good would have liked, but it would do for now. He pet Gabriel as it shrunk back to its normal length, stowing the potions in his inventory with a grin.

“Schlatt’s time grows ever near, my friend.”

* * *

Technoblade rode through the swampy lands on the outskirts of Manburg on horseback, thoroughly enjoying the wind through his long pink hair and the rush of adrenaline.

He guided his horse deftly up a ledge and onto the treetops, hopping from tree to tree like a 20th century version of Tarzan with pink hair. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something lime green lying on its side in the mud.

“Woah, girl,” Techno slowed the horse to a stop, carefully climbing off of her and leading the spotted horse down and off of the tree.

Techno’s face contorted with worry and confusion.

_ Why was Dream here and passed out in the middle of a swamp? _

Techno rolled Dream over onto his back, though the masked man didn’t stir. Dream’s crossbow was sitting not far from Dream himself, caked in mud and sinking into a puddle. Techno poked Dream in the cheek to ensure that the man was still sleeping before pulling his phone and headphones out of his pocket. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures. He also just  _ really _ wanted to annoy the fuck out of Dream.

He turned the volume up, stuck the headphones over Dream’s ears, and pressed play on “Thomas the dank engine.” Techno could hear the opening theme of the song play, though it soon grew distorted and loud, ending in a distorted version of the Thomas the Tank Engine Theme that even from five feet away and covering his ears Techno could hear.

Dream sat up with a yelp of surprise, tearing off the headphones and chucking them across the swamp to land near his crossbow.

“What the fuck?!” He yelled, panting heavily.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Techno droned with a wave.

“ _ Technoblade I’m going to fucking murder you--” _

“I probably just saved your life so shut it.”

Dream paused with a confused tilt of his head, “Where am I?”

Techno glanced around, petting the muzzle of his horse, “Dunno. Outskirts of L’Manburg I guess.”

“How the fuck did I get  _ here _ ?” Dream shook his head as Techno extended a hand and helped the masked man to stand.

“I just found ‘ya lyin’ here, so I know about as much as you,” the piglin hybrid seemed to grow steadily more concerned, “Do you not know how you got here?”

Dream shook his head, retrieving his crossbow and Techno’s headphones from the mud, “I remember following Bad out here, but everything’s fuzzy from there. Like a dream you can’t quite remember.”

“...Was that a pun?”

Dream smirked, pulling up his mask a little so Techno could see his wink, “Maybe.”

The piglin hybrid lightly smacked Dream over the head before sighing, “I’m pretty sure not remembering where or how you got here isn’t a good sign.”

Dream felt around his head for a moment, “I don’t think I’m concussed or anything? Those memories just kinda went ‘ _ poof’ _ !” He gestured to his head for effect.

They both stood in silence for a moment before Techno spoke up.

“You couldn’t remember anything after Nightmare took over, when you attacked us, right?”

“.... _ Fuck _ .”

* * *

The masked man held onto Techo as the hybrid urged his horse forward until they reached the opening hole of POGtopia where Wilbur and Schlatt were nervously whispering about something. Both quickly turned to the pair with grim expressions on their faces.

“Bad’s gone,” Wilbur stated through clenched teeth, “We found a poem behind Skeppy’s ear.”

Wilbur handed the pink-haired man a tiny slip of parchment that had flowing black script written hastily on it.

_ In the blackest dawn, _

_ On the deepwater hill, _

_ An oak tree of the fawn, _

_ Where all life stands still. _

_ There I was hanged, _

_ For the crime of fighting against a liar, _

_ For the crime of lighting the fire, _

_ For the crime of helping my family. _

_ Brought here with the gift Gilgamesh in vain sought, _

_ I stand with my brothers of nightmares, of fire, of crystal, of clocks, of greed, _

_ A crucifix to slay the horned god I have brought, _

_ With a heart of lead and wounds that bleed, _

_ The horned god will hang for his deeds. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YA BETTER WATCH OUT, YA BETTER WATCH Out, YA BETETR WATCH OUT--  
> Good is coming for them  
> :)))))))  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty! <3


	9. Close The Goddamn Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But there I'll wait,  
> With unwavering faith,  
> 'Till I escape,  
> The place I call home.  
> I'll see you,  
> I'll see you,  
> Again in my dreams,  
> My lovely,  
> My darling,  
> My own.  
> \--Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

GoodBoyHalo was not a resentful person, by any means. 

He forgave his brothers and sisters when they betrayed him--when they hurt him. They left him dying in the dirt, but Good knew it wasn’t their fault. 

He forgave them.

Maybe it was a mistake, but he did.

Gabriel peeked out carefully from Good’s thick coat while the demon galloped along on a stolen skeleton horse whose bones rattled and clinked. The invisibility potion masked his presence from the world, making him look like a ghost rider on his noble steed running with the billowing winds of the Wild Hunt. 

Jschlatt, however, was one that he  _ couldn’t  _ forgive.

The rope marks on his neck still burned. He still lacked the ability to breathe. The only reason he was alive was because of Sunday. Good could forgive that--he had been a cruel, terrible person back then.

Good leaned further over his skeleton horse, urging the strange creature forward until they finally reached a small clearing in the woods. A hole in the mountainside was covered up sloppily with squishy red ooze--netherack--and dirt, all mushed together in a goopy, maroon mess. He could hear voices worriedly chatting echoing from the ravine. POGtopia.

No, no, no, the reason that Good could never forgive him was simply: Jschlatt murdered his fucking siblings.

Feret was gone, nothing but an urn with her ashes remaining. Nightmare was nearly dead because of them, though the fucker had provoked them so Good was more understanding of that one. Heartbreaker and Soot--

Good screwed his eyes shut in an attempt to keep from letting tears fall. 

Heart and Soot were not the people they used to be because Jschlatt  _ fucking cursed them _ . Those who were still alive after...the event, were reduced to dark copies of people who already existed. Good hopped off of his horse, feeling Gabriel wrap uncomfortably tightly around his neck. A wooden sword coated with a thick layer of withering poison and weakness was carefully concealed in his cloak.

Now the horned god would pay.

* * *

“--Then we need to be careful--”

“HE HAS  _ BAD _ , SCHLATT! If we hurt him, we hurt Bad, too. He’s not as strong as Dream, something like that would fucking  _ kill him _ \--”

“Skeppy, calm down, we’re not going to hurt him--”

“DON’T TELL ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN, PHIL, WHEN MY FRIEND IS LITERALLY ON HIS WAY TO FUCKING KILL US!”

Skeppy clenched his hands at his side, feeling the diamond coating them crack a little underneath the pressure, “He’s going to fucking kill Schlatt, and I could _ never _ live with myself if I hurt him.”

Jschlatt peered at him with softly glowing crimson eyes, and Skeppy glared up at him, expecting fury or disgust or-- _ something _ \-- but he instead was met with compassion and a concerned furrow of the man’s brow.

“I already hurt--I already hurt him once, in-in the clearing,” glistening tears like tiny crystals fell down the golem’s cheeks, landing on the stone floor with a soft, ‘ _ clink!’ _

Philza placed a comforting hand on the diamond golem’s shoulder, “He tried to kill us, and he wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m right here with you this time, and Tubbo even helped me prepare more darts,” Philza gave the younger man a warm grin, “He’ll be  _ fine _ , Geppy.”

Skeppy shook his head, taking a brisk step forward and pressing a clawed diamond hand to Schlatt’s throat. Wilbur and Technoblade went to draw their weapons, but Phil motioned for them to wait.

“I can’t--” Skeppy sobbed, “I can’t let you do this.”

Schlatt gave Phil a quick look before resting a hand on the diamond golem’s cheek, his eyes turning faintly gold, “I’m sorry, but it’s what has to be done.”

Skeppy’s eyes fluttered, and he collapsed in a heap onto Schlatt, who carefully picked him up and set him on the meeting room’s sofa. Tubbo raised a quiet hand in a gesture of “I’ll watch him”, walking over to sit on the sofa by the sleeping golem once Schlatt nodded in approval.

The ram hybrid turned to the grim creatures around him, drawing his netherite sword.

“We’ll get him back. For Skeppy.”

* * *

Good heard whispering and couldn’t stop the wide grin that spread across his features. Gabriel snaked down Good’s arm to traverse across the floor in bounding leaps, poking at doorways and corridors until it motioned with one of its ends to a thick wooden door. Good nodded at the scarf in approval before walking over to a dark shadow caused by a cracking stone ledge in the ravine and melting into it.

Good appeared moments later in a meeting room covered in lush plant life and birch wood paneling. Jschlatt was there, quietly whispering plan details to the various creatures around him. The demon noted with interest how George, Sapnap, and the familiar masked bitch, Dream, himself stood close by with grim expressions and weapons at the ready. Skeppy was snoring softly on one of the leather sofas while Tubbo pet the older man’s hair.

The shadowy man tip-toed over to a spot close by the group where a large stone crack was showing. He let out a manic giggle into the crack and listened as it reverberated throughout the room, startling the beings inside who readied themselves for a fight.

“ _ Oh George!~” _ Good mimicked Dream’s sing-songy tone, chuckling softly when the man in question growled at Dream before smacking him over the head.

“This is serious, Dream!”

Dream rubbed his head before glancing around the room, “That wasn’t me.”

“ _ Maybe it was Nightmare? _ ” Sapnap asked, though Sapnap wasn’t the one speaking.

“Show yourself,” Wilbur growled, twirling his netherite sword.

“ _ You look angry, Wilbur _ ,” Tommy whispered in Wilbur’s ear, making the man start and swing his blade at seemingly thin air.

“ _ Was it something I said? _ ” Tubbo taunted, and the lanky man tripped over an invisible foot, falling on his rear-end. Something pressed down on the man’s chest, forcing him to the ground, gasping for air.

George shot an arrow at the space above Wilbur, watching as a shadowy figure appeared suddenly in a mass of fuzzy black smoke before melting into the ground.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to attack guests?” 

George was thrown across the room with a startled yelp. The odd, woolen priest’s scarf lengthened behind him, its ends turning into menacing black claws which it held to the man’s throat.

Good chuckled, delighting in the way that everyone in the room jumped at the noise.

A netherite blade struck Schlatt square across the chest, leaving a quickly decaying wound in its wake as the shadowy form of BadBoyHalo appeared in front of them, holding the violet sword.

“Haven’t you ever heard of closing the goddamn door?~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh,  
> L'Manburg,  
> Kinda  
> Kinda gone?  
> Um  
> Fuck  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty! <3


	10. What A Shame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Down by the bay (Down by the bay)  
> Where the watermelon rot (Where the watermelon rot)  
> If you go home (If you go home)  
> Just don't get caught (Just don't get caught)"--Madelynn Whitt "Where the Watermelons Rot"
> 
> Good takes a stand against those who hurt him and his family. It doesn't end well for either party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end for notes!

**Patience, angels, I'm coming!~.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnnd, almost done folks, the epilogue will be up soon!  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty!~ <33

**Author's Note:**

> The song for this fic is "Death of a Bachelor" and "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! At the Disco!  
> The characters are inspired by __secret_kitty__ on TikTok (please go give her a follow, they're amazing)  
> Enjoy and thank you from your Friendly Frosty! <3


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